Come Back To Me
by Roxie Zephyr Jocelyn
Summary: It has always been assumed that Athrun was at fault for leaving Cagalli behind. But, was he really the only one to blame? After all, just as it takes two to make a relationship work, it takes two to break one...


A/N: This is a short fic set during the time when Archangel rescued Athrun and Meyrin after they had been struck down by Shinn. It is done in Cagalli's POV as she sits by an unconscious Athrun's bedside. As usual, Athrun Zala, Cagalli Yula Atha and the rest of the fascinating cast of Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny do not belong to me. Now that that's over with, enjoy!

Come Back To Me

Why won't he wake up? The question was always the first that popped into her mind every time she visited him, lying so deathly still. Only his chest, which rose gently with every precious breath he drew, and the bandages wrapped around his critical injuries, painted brilliant crimson with his blood, betrayed the fact that he was still alive. Cagalli's eyes never left the figure as she sat in the chair by his bedside. It was her secret fear that he would simply leave the moment she turned away, just like he had done. Only this time, there would be no hope of him coming back.

Sometimes, she wondered why Destiny was so cruel. The young bubbly girl with the cherubic innocent face, Meyrin, had awoken from her sleep a whole day ago. Yet, Athrun remained silent, oblivious to the world, responsive only to the demons that haunted his dreams. Her hands reached for his, holding it firmly in hers. His hand, always so warm, was now cold just like how he had been when they had last met face to face. The ORB princess winced, remembering how his usually expressive eyes had shuttered as he turned to return to his ship. He had promised her forever but he had still left her. He had not responded to her tears and cries but simply turn away without a backward glance.

She did not stop crying that day. She had cried and cried until her tears had dried. Yet, that soul numbing anguish had remained. She had been left with nothing but a shell of her former self. All of them had been angry at Athrun for being the cause of her tears, even she herself. In her bitterness, she had cursed him, cursed him for leaving her, cursed him for breaking the most important promise he had made to her. And, she had cursed herself for being weak enough to have been broken by his betrayal.

But, that was that and this was now. She had picked herself back up and glued the pieces back together. Over the days, she had reflected on their broken bond. The bitterness and pain that had blinded her fell away like a curtain and with new clarity she saw. The realization stunned her. She thought that she had died when Athrun left her for ZAFT. She now saw that he had been dying since he left ZAFT for her.

Athrun's past had always been a sensitive subject for them. The name of 'Zala' carried the burden of murder, the blood of innocents who died for a misguided cause. It would have been a wedge that could have come between them but Athrun chose to abandon it all and take on a new identity, Alex Dino. They both loved each other. He had vowed to protect her. So, they took the only way out that they could see – burying the past.

Alex Dino and Athrun Zala were subtly different. Alex was her bodyguard, cool, calm, silent and distant. Athrun was the love of her life, compassionate, courageous, strong and loving. In private moments, they were just Cagalli and Athrun, two young individuals in love. In public, they were Cagalli Yula Atha, Princess of ORB and Alex Dino, professional bodyguard. And, therein lay the problem. They were no better from how they had been. Where they had previously been separated because of a racial barrier, they were now separated by a status barrier.

Watching him now, Cagalli wondered when had it last been when she saw such a peaceful look on his face. Certainly not when they had been together at ORB. The tension and frustration of the parts they were playing had eaten at Athrun more than he cared to admit. Cagalli herself had been silently watching as Alex suffocated Athrun, killing him slowly. But, she had not acted. Why?

Because she had been selfish. They all had been. She had loved his continual support, his silent but reliable strength and most of all, she had loved him. She wanted him to be by her side. Athrun, who had loved her just as deeply, never complained and never faltered. Even in his darkest moments, he smiled for her and comforted her. He had guided her and protected her from the shadows. He always placed her problems and needs above his. And, they had all taken him for granted.

Athrun was a brilliant Coordinator, talented even amongst the elite. He did not deserve to be forced to hide and fade away when he had been as much a hero as she, Lacus or Kira had been. He deserved to be respected as an elite member of ZAFT not looked upon condescendingly as a mere bodyguard. But, Cagalli knew that the moment he rose to claim his true position they would've been separated forever. So, when he had promised her forever, she had selfishly agreed. As she reflected upon their relationship, she was forced to acknowledge that some part of her had not fully accepted Athrun for who he was. That little part of her had blanked out Athrun's past and his contributions to ZAFT. Because even as she had been dealing with her own mistakes and pain, she found herself unable to deal with his. Instead, she had allowed that wound to grow and fester.

She remembered when Chairman Dullindal had first addressed Athrun by his real name, how his emerald eyes flared with sudden life. She remembered with equal clarity how he had stolen a glance at her and that spark had faded, dimmed. Shin's words then too had shocked her. How could he so brazenly accuse her of not understanding Athrun? But, thinking back, she was only shamed. She had blinded herself to Athrun's past, encouraging him to forget about his father's deeds, denying his past. She had stood by his decision to give up his name and identity to be by her side. How could she say she understood and accepted Athrun when she had inadvertently asked him to abandon his name, the essence of who he was? She did not blame him for turning to Chairman Dullindal, who had acknowledged him. How could she, when she had been the one who had denied him that very acknowledgement?

But, now was not the time for regrets. Fate had been kind enough to reunite them. Cagalli had made a fatal mistake and she had paid for it. Now, it was time for her to acknowledge the past, accept it and move on. It was time that she acknowledged him.

'I don't think that I tell you this enough,' she whispered, her hand gently brushing away a stray blue bang, 'but I love you, Athrun Zala. Not my bodyguard, Alex Dino but you, the compassionate young man who has been kind, patient and loving since the day I first met you on that deserted island.'

She leaned over him, hovering so closely that she could see the shadows of his brilliant emerald eyes move restlessly under fair eyelids. 'I love you, Athrun Zala and I accept you completely for who you are,' she breathed and on sudden impulse, pecked him gently on the lips. A tingle ran up her spine and heat coursed through her veins, flooding her cheeks. Leaping to her feet, she strode to the door, her last words a mere whisper in the air.

'So please, come back to me.'


End file.
